Thank-You: to all the talented people who have made these modification (MODs),
and are generous in, not only sharing their efforts, but for all
their support within modding community.

Latest
News -September 10, 2012: I've been really busy
with the other parts of my life lately, so I haven't had much gaming
time for the past few weeks. But all the mods on this list
should not be up to date (as in, what is listed here are the most
current versions). I'm still working on the "final" mod
install before starting a new modded game. The biggest issue
is that several mods that I've been testing as still in (what I
consider to be) their beta stage, where a new version is being
released like once a week. Plus I am still not happy with any
of the available Needs mods (eats/sleep/drink), and I'm still
waiting on one that has been in development for a while. I now
have 78 esms and esps installed, plus a number of
texture replacing mods. Now that my Skyrim Mod List is mostly
complete, I plan on added my mod load order
page in the near future.

[Note that I am trying to divide my time between Skyrim and the
two Fallout games (and I'm currently also updating both of my
Fallout Realism Tweaks). Plus it is summer . . . which is when
I spend as much of my free time as possible outdoors, kayaking all
over the place and hiking in the nearby mountains. I'm going to try
to keep this journal updated fairly regularly (now that I'm actually
playing Skyrim again), but there will be times when the updates will
likely be delayed.]

ABOUT ARWEN'S Skyrim JOURNAL: This journal now consists of three main
parts:

A large part of my Skyrim
Journal will always be my recommended mod list. So at the end
of each chapter of my
Trials of a Reluctant Dragonborn
is my Gaming Comments and Tips section -
where I explain how specific mods have added to my gaming experience
for the gameplay that was covered in that chapter.
I also explain
some of my role-playing techniques that have made the game
more immersive for me. My primary goal in writing this
journal is to help other players make Skyriminto a better gaming
experience.

About Arwen's
Mod
List:These are my recommended mods
for Bethesda's Skyrim role-playing game. These are the mods I have selected
in my own personal quest to make Skyrim a better game . . . and "a
better game" in this case, refers to a "better role-playing game."

If you're
experienced with installing and using mods, you can skip ahead to
my MOD
Index . . . if not, I would strongly suggest that you read the next section
first.

Are you unsure about how to install MODs?

Are you not exactly sure what a MOD is?
It so, you should first read my MODs 101 - The
Basics section (which I originally wrote for Oblivion, but
the basic principles are mostly the same, so I rewrote it for
Skyrim). You may also want to take a look at my Nexus Mod Manager (NMM) Tips.
Both are part of my Skyrim Tips
section of this journal.

Warnings About Using These
MODs (and disclaimer):

My Skyrim Journal MOD pages are
my way to share the mods I am using. I've tested out every one
of these mods in my own game, and haven't noticed any major
conflicts, but I can't guarantee that they won't cause problems for
others (and incorrect load order
will cause conflicts).

Please don't try to install
any of these MODs without:

- first backing up your saved games folder
- knowing how to install the MOD
- knowing how to uninstall the MOD
- understanding exactly what each MOD does.

Before you start installing
MODs . . . I suggest that you do the following:

1.) Update your Skyrim game with the latest
patch.
2.) Make a backup copy of your entire Skyrim folder (if you have
the free space). If you don't have the free space to
entire Skyrim folder - You should at least back up the Meshes
and Textures folders (as these folders tend to get messed
up the most when installing and removing mods)
3.) Install the Nexus
Mod Manager and use it to install your mods (and take a
look at my Nexus Mod Manager Tips, if you are not sure how to safely install mods
with it, or use it with the SKSE).

Arwen Note: To be totally safe (if you are still not
confident about installing mods), you can back up your Skyrim folder before installing
any mods, and if your game somehow gets messed up you can easily
restore it to default.